Samsara for orchestra

Samsara is a six movement orchestra work. The composition attempts to explore the meaning of life through Buddhist cosmology, the reincarnations within the six realms, Preta, Animal, Human, Hell, Asura and Heaven. The purpose of the composition is to investigate the possibility of communication between multiple cultures, arts and philosophies, ancient cosmologies and modern techniques. The composition uses a variety of extended techniques on orchestral instruments, such as string clusters, harmonic glissandos, col legno, sul ponticello, Bartók pizzicatos, heavy pressure and circular bowing; woodwind breath sounds and wide vibrato; prepared piano and inside piano techniques etc. The compositional techniques used in the work contain aleatoric elements, minimalism, micro-polyphonies, and non-western traditional or folk elements. The pitch choices in the composition include microtones, newly defined chromatic scales and the modes from Indian traditional music.